Wapello County Courthouse
Encyclopedia
The Wapello County Courthouse in Ottumwa, Iowa
, United States
was built in 1894. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration. It is part of the Central Park area, which includes: Ottumwa Public Library
, Ottumwa City Hall and St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church
.
first courthouse was a single-story log cabin. It was replaced in 1846 by a two-story brick structure that was built for $1,000. The first floor was used as a school house, church, courthouse, dancehall and a place for political meetings. The second floor was used for office space. The building was destroyed in a fire in 1872 and was replaced by another brick structure that served the county until 1891. The present courthouse was built for $135,000 and was dedicated in 1894.
in the Romanesque Revival style made popular by Henry Hobson Richardson
. The four-story building measures 101 by 94 feet and a statue of Chief Wapello rests on a pedestal high above the main entrance. Until 1950 the building featured a clock tower and spire on the corner. It was removed for safety reasons. The massive round arch entry is mimicked in the floor above by the triple window with the arched opening in the center. The cluster of columns that flank the entrance are made of granite
and the columns that flank and are in between the windows above the entrance are smooth limestone. A foliated pattern appears above the granite columns. The cornice
, just below the roofline, features small square-cut stone blocks called dentils.
The interior has been renovated over the course of years, but it does feature an ornate cast-iron staircase behind the elevator shaft. The newel post is a short, squat column with a foliated capital. The ironwork on the balustrade is a combination of linear and curvilinear forms. Colorful glazed tile floors are found above the first floor of the building. Various colors and designs are used in different parts of the building.
The wainscoting on the first floor is made of yellow and blue glazed tiles that were popular in the 1890s. In the rest of the building it is composed of decorative wood panels. It features fluted pilasters and square panels with flowers. The doorways are deeply recessed and feature a transom
above a multi-paneled door. The framing is milled woodwork that creates the effect of a fluted pilaster, as well as decorative corner and side blocks. The corner blocks feature a fleur-de-lis
pattern and the side blocks feature various floral patterns. A simple cornice tops each doorway. The woodwork continues in the courtroom. Behind the judge’s bench is a decorative panel that contains a classical urn with a vine and leaf pattern and the Latin phrase Fiat Justitia, “Let there be Justice.” Another panel is on the front of the bench and contains a female figure in the middle surrounded by foliage and two banners that repeat the Latin phrase.
Ottumwa, Iowa
Ottumwa is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census. It is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, and the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River....
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was built in 1894. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration. It is part of the Central Park area, which includes: Ottumwa Public Library
Ottumwa Public Library
The Ottumwa Public Library in downtown Ottumwa, Iowa, United States was built in 1901. It is part of the Central Park area, which is the civic center of the community. It includes the Wapello County Courthouse, Ottumwa City Hall and St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church...
, Ottumwa City Hall and St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church
St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church (Ottumwa, Iowa)
St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church is a parish of the Diocese of Davenport. The church building is located on the corner of 4th and Court Streets in downtown Ottumwa, Iowa United States. It is part of the Central Park area, which is the civic center of the community. It includes: the...
.
History
Wapello County’sWapello County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 35,625 in the county, with a population density of . There were 16,098 housing units, of which 14,552 were occupied.-2000 census:...
first courthouse was a single-story log cabin. It was replaced in 1846 by a two-story brick structure that was built for $1,000. The first floor was used as a school house, church, courthouse, dancehall and a place for political meetings. The second floor was used for office space. The building was destroyed in a fire in 1872 and was replaced by another brick structure that served the county until 1891. The present courthouse was built for $135,000 and was dedicated in 1894.
Architecture
The present courthouse was constructed of rough-cut sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
in the Romanesque Revival style made popular by Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson was a prominent American architect who designed buildings in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and other cities. The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque...
. The four-story building measures 101 by 94 feet and a statue of Chief Wapello rests on a pedestal high above the main entrance. Until 1950 the building featured a clock tower and spire on the corner. It was removed for safety reasons. The massive round arch entry is mimicked in the floor above by the triple window with the arched opening in the center. The cluster of columns that flank the entrance are made of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
and the columns that flank and are in between the windows above the entrance are smooth limestone. A foliated pattern appears above the granite columns. The cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
, just below the roofline, features small square-cut stone blocks called dentils.
The interior has been renovated over the course of years, but it does feature an ornate cast-iron staircase behind the elevator shaft. The newel post is a short, squat column with a foliated capital. The ironwork on the balustrade is a combination of linear and curvilinear forms. Colorful glazed tile floors are found above the first floor of the building. Various colors and designs are used in different parts of the building.
The wainscoting on the first floor is made of yellow and blue glazed tiles that were popular in the 1890s. In the rest of the building it is composed of decorative wood panels. It features fluted pilasters and square panels with flowers. The doorways are deeply recessed and feature a transom
Transom
Transom may refer to:* Transom , a bar of wood or stone across the top of a door or window* Transom , one of the beams running athwart the ship's hull at the fashion timbers or the surface that forms the flat back panel of a stern of a vessel* Operation Transom, a major bombing raid* Transom knot,...
above a multi-paneled door. The framing is milled woodwork that creates the effect of a fluted pilaster, as well as decorative corner and side blocks. The corner blocks feature a fleur-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
pattern and the side blocks feature various floral patterns. A simple cornice tops each doorway. The woodwork continues in the courtroom. Behind the judge’s bench is a decorative panel that contains a classical urn with a vine and leaf pattern and the Latin phrase Fiat Justitia, “Let there be Justice.” Another panel is on the front of the bench and contains a female figure in the middle surrounded by foliage and two banners that repeat the Latin phrase.